Diane Ingabire was murdered on November 19, 2021 in Stockholm, Sweden.
A court on Friday sentenced a Rwandan man to life imprisonment and deportation after he was found guilty of killing this wife. Jean Uwizeye, 38, was arrested in November 2021 after he reported the death of his wife in Tyresö municipality, Stockholm, Sweden.
Reports say Uwizeye called police on November 19, 2021, claiming that he found his wife, Diane Ingabire, lifeless in their home after he returned home from a children’s park but a few hours later he was arrested after investigators sensed holes in his story.
It was revealed that Ingabire, 31, had previously communicated to her relatives and friends that she feared for her life and often slept in a room and locked herself in, fearing her husband. She had also contemplated reporting him to police because she felt her life was in danger.
Police found that Uwizeye made the SOS call at 17.37 on 19 November 2021 but log system showed that he used his blip key to get into the property earlier at 16.45 – almost an hour before he made the call, when he is suspected to have committed the crime.
Reports further indicated that Ingabire had planned to leave her controlling and possessive husband but unfortunately died before it could happen. The Nacka District Court found Uwizeye guilty of murdering his wife and could be deported to Rwanda, where they both hailed from, to serve his sentence.
“Investigations concluded that Jean Uwizeye killed his wife using brutal force in their shared home. In light of this, the district court considers that the act was particularly ruthless and the suspect is thereby sentence to life imprisonment and will be deported for committing murder,” the court ruled.
Ingabire is said to have moved to Sweden in 2018, to join her husband who had gone for further studies. A brilliant statistician, Ingabire’s skills quickly earned her a job at Gapminder Foundation, a renowned Swedish non-profit venture which was co-founded by Prof. Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling and Anna Rosling Rönnlund.
Uwizeye was sentenced to life imprisonment and risks being deported to Rwanda to serve his sentence.
The couple had two children, the first born aged four and the second born, two. Friends of Ingabire testified that she had confided to them plans to leave her tumultuous marriage over physical and mental abuse from her husband. It is said that she slept in her own room, which she could lock, and on several occasions her husband is said to have tried to get in, according to the investigation.
Relatives and investigations found that Ingabire had previously complained about her husband’s insecurities as he constantly accused her of being unfaithful. He had also installed a surveillance camera in her home that secretly recorded her.
“I feel my life is in danger.” Ingabire wrote to one of her friends. During the second half of 2021, Ingabire sought help from several sources. She was in contact with both the police and the social services. She also told relatives, friends and co-workers about the situation.
Days before the murder, a relative of Ingabire spoke to her husband but was worried by his reaction, stating several times that he will kill her. This prompted the relative to urge her to urgently seek protection and find a safe place to move to but it was a little too late.
Jessica Sandberg, a Swedish lawyer representing Ingabire’s family, said after the ruling that there is a sense of relief that justice for Diane was eventually served. Court was urged to seek more details on Ingabire’s last hours and the pain she endured as she faced death.
Reports further indicated that previously Ingabire had separated with Uwizeye but reconciled after their families intervened. However, last year, she indicated that things got worse and was planning to return to Rwanda in December the same year to take a break and consult with families.
Ingabire’s death shattered members of the Rwandan Diaspora, especially in Sweden, where she was a member of the diaspora committee.
Ingabire, who was a statistician by profession, was a mother of two.
Who is Uwizeye?
Jean Uwizeye is an Economist and Data Analyst who holds a Master’s of Science in Economics from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), which he joined in 2017. He also holds a Bachelors Degree in Economics from the University of Rwanda (UR). Before moving to Sweden, he was working with the Rwanda Natural Resources Authority (RNRA) as an Economist.
“I am self-motivated, a team player and solution-oriented person with good communication skills who believe in innovation as a perfect aid that enables human ingenuity to sustain life on the planet earth.” Uwizeye describes himself on his LinkedIn page. He also previously worked with different projects, including one with Enabel Rwanda, as a consultant.
